Today In Payments Around The World: Western Union Grows Real-Time Digital Payments; Visa Wraps Up YellowPepper Acquistion

In today’s top payments news around the world, Western Union has expanded its real-time digital payout capabilities, while Visa has wrapped up its acquisition of YellowPepper. Plus, the eurozone economy is backsliding amid a second lockdown.

Western Union Expands Real-Time Digital Payments To 100 Countries

Western Union just took another large step in the direction of bolstering its expanding digital payments arsenal. The remittance firm said it has grown its real-time digital payout abilities in a move that encompasses billions of bank accounts in 100 nations. It noted that the growth of its real-time payout abilities is the heart of its digital expansion strategy, which it is pursuing via digital partnerships and WesternUnion.com.

It’s A Wrap: Visa Completes Purchase Of Latin American FinTech YellowPepper

Visa has wrapped up its acquisition of YellowPepper, the Latin American FinTech, in the first arrangement of its kind by the financial company in the region. Terms of the arrangement were not made known. Eduardo Coello, regional president for Visa’s operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, said that “bringing YellowPepper into the Visa family will help us build on our ‘network of networks’ strategy.”

New Pandemic Lockdowns Trigger Economic Slowdown In Eurozone

The eurozone economy is backsliding during a second lockdown in the continent brought about by a tide of new coronavirus infections per an IHS Markit analysis. The flash IHS Markit Eurozone Composite PMI fell to 45.1 in November in contrast to 50 in October.

Qantas CEO: Vaccines Will Be Mandatory For International Travel

Alan Joyce, the chief executive of Qantas, reportedly said that international travel probably won’t be able to return to normal without compulsory vaccinations. Joyce said the firm would be modifying its rules once a vaccine becomes broadly available — and he believed air carries throughout the globe would probably do so, too. “For international travelers … we will ask people to have a vaccination before they get on the aircraft,” he reportedly said.